Set Of Sensor Units For Communication Enabled For Streaming Media Delivery With Monitoring And Control Of Power Usage Of Connected Appliances

ABSTRACT

A group of sensor devices is connected to the power line and configured for collecting power usage information and enabling power management to reduce the carbon foot print of the home, as well as to provide local area networking. In one embodiment of the invention, the devices include an intelligent master sensor and its sub-sets, such as a communication and power management sensor and a power control switch sensor. The master device is configured to collect, compile, and communicate the collected data via the web or other communication medium to the outside world. The master device also receives and distributes control instructions that are used to control the power usage via the associated switches in the home or office. The sensors are used in the home or office environment to provide integrated sensing and control of home power usage and power management, while establishing a LAN having communication capability, including streaming media delivery capability.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of a co-filed U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/032,454, Method and Apparatus For UsingPLC-Based Sensor Units For Communication and Streaming Media Delivery,and For Monitoring and Control Of Power Usage Of Connected Appliances,filed Feb. 22, 2011, which application is incorporated herein in itsentirety by this reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention relates to power line networking that is enabled forcommunication and media streaming, with remote power monitoring andcontrol capable devices for power usage monitoring and control within alocal area network. In particular, the invention relates to reducing thecarbon foot print of in-home equipment by appropriate use of devices forpower monitoring, data collection, and control and communication of saidequipment over power lines.

2. Description of the Background Art

The use of power lines as a communications medium has been known fromearly in the 20^(th) century. Due to the higher cost and otherlimitations for extending the connectivity, the use of such power linecommunication (PLC) systems has been limited to local area networks(LANs) within homes or offices or, at best, within apartment complexes.PLC has also found a limited number of applications where other types ofcommunication methods do not provide the security and remoteconnectivity, such as for power line control applications.

Basic devices for connecting to the power line for communication andpower supply have been designed and used to provide service within LANs.Due to more efficient competing technologies, the infrastructure forpower line communication never developed to make it a mainstreamtechnology. A number of patents and patent applications dating from theearly 1900s exist that cover devices and systems for connectivity usingpower line communications. Despite this early start, PLC technology hasnot become a main stream communication technology and the adaptation ofthis technology has been slow. This can be attributed to various reasonsincluding, the higher cost of available devices, the lack of suitabledevices for communication using the PLC technology, etc. The result hasbeen that PLC has not found a path for growth in the standard voice anddata communication field catered to by technologies such as xDSL, cellphones, and satellite communications.

It is hence necessary to identify an application space where the powerline communication technology can be optimally used and to developdevices and systems to cater to the application. Such a use that isemerging is the needed ability to collect information and provide remotecontrol capability for appliances, for example to reduce the carbonfootprint of the home. If this emerging application can simultaneouslyprovide a local area network capability catering to the needs ofcommunication and streaming media delivery within a home or office, itcould be the optimum application for the growth technology. Thisapplication shows promise for the future growth and development of thePLC technology, but it is still necessary to develop and implementsuitable sensor units and systems to cater to the needs of thistechnology and to bring forth its full potential.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A group of sensor devices is connected to the power line and configuredfor collecting power usage information and enabling power management toreduce the carbon foot print of the home, as well as to provide localarea networking. In one embodiment of the invention, the devices includean intelligent master sensor and its sub-sets, such as a communicationand power management sensor and a power control switch sensor. Themaster device is configured to collect, compile, and communicate thecollected data via the web or other communication medium to the outsideworld. The master device also receives and distributes controlinstructions that are used to control the power usage via the associatedswitches in the home or office. The sensors are used in the home oroffice environment to provide integrated sensing and control of homepower usage and power management, while establishing a LAN havingcommunication capability, including streaming media delivery capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram showing a power switch unit (SW)having broadband information transfer capability according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram showing a SW having narrowbandinformation transfer capability according to the invention;

FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing the collection and transmission ofinformation of power usage of the appliance and status of the power plugof an SW unit according to the invention;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing remote control of the power in a powerplug of an SW unit according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a block schematic diagram showing a data communication enabledpower switch unit (ETH) having broadband for PLC and narrowband formonitor and control information transfer according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a block schematic diagram showing an ETH having broadband forPLC and for monitor and control information transfer according to theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a block schematic diagram showing an ETH having broadband forPLC and for monitor and control information transfer according to theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing operation of the ETH communicationsub-unit according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a block schematic diagram showing a master power switch module(MST) having a broadband connection for Internet and PLC and for monitorand control information according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a block schematic diagram showing an MST having a broadbandconnection for Internet, PLC for data, and a narrowband connection formonitor and control information according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing operation of the MST for establishing WANconnections for data communication and monitor and control informationaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 11 is a block schematic diagram showing a typical connection forthe various elements of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Implementation of green technologies requires monitoring and control ofthe carbon footprint of homes and offices and has created a need toassess the power usage pattern and the magnitude of usage remotely, andto supervise and control the power remotely. It is necessary to monitorand control the power use on a micro level for the consumer, who canexercise the necessary constraints on use if the proper tools areprovided. It is also necessary to monitor the usage pattern and collectdata on a macro level to develop policies that are beneficial to theoverall reduction of the carbon foot print at the home and office level,as well as on a national level. Empowering the individual and thesociety to exercise the necessary controls by monitoring the power usageis an area where the power line communication and control can beeffectively and optimally used.

In an embodiment of the invention, a group of sensor devices isconnected to the power line and configured for collecting power usageinformation and enabling power management to reduce the carbon footprint of the home, as well as to provide local area networking. In oneembodiment of the invention, the devices include an intelligent mastersensor and its sub-sets, such as a communication and power managementsensor and a power control switch sensor. The master device isconfigured to collect, compile, and communicate the collected data viathe web or other communication medium to the outside world. The masterdevice also receives and distributes control instructions that are usedto control the power usage via the associated switches in the home oroffice. The sensors are used in the home or office environment toprovide integrated sensing and control of home power usage and powermanagement, while establishing a LAN having communication capability,including streaming media delivery capability.

An embodiment of the invention comprises three different sensor unitsthat, together, enable the collection of power usage information andthat provide for remote control of power usage of appliances that areconnected to the sensor units. This capability is established inaddition to the PLC LAN capability made available by use of thecommunication enabled power monitoring and control device describedherein. The use of either the communication enabled power monitoring andcontrol device or the power switch unit (discussed below) withoutcommunication capability is dictated by cost considerations of thesystem. The selective use of these devices allows only the appropriatecapabilities for the specified application location within the home oroffice, thus reducing the overall cost of use in the home or officeenvironment.

The three units are:

-   -   A power switch unit (SW);    -   A data communication (Ethernet) enabled power switch unit (ETH);        and    -   A master unit (MST).

The Power Switch Unit (SW)

The SW is one of the basic units of the presently preferred embodimentof the invention. The SW connects an appliance in the home or office tothe power supply. The SW provides for the monitoring of powerconsumption with capability for remote control of the connectedappliance through the Internet.

FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of an SW unit 100. The SW unit 100has a power plug 103 that is connected to the AC power distributionlines 101 through a power meter and relay module 104. The relay in thepower meter and relay module 104 provides the capability to remotelyswitch on or switch off the supply to the power plug 103. It also allowsfor controlling the power supplied to the plug where a power controlmodule is included in the power meter and relay module 104. The powermeter in the power meter and relay module 104 monitors the power usageby the appliances connected to the power plug. The power meter and relaymodule 104 is connected via bi-directional communication links 106 to amicrocontroller (MCU) 107, such as an Intel 8051. The microcontrolleraccepts the information on the power usage and compiles it prior totransfer to the broadband communication module 109. The power meter inthe power meter and relay module 104 continuously monitors the flow ofpower to the power plug 103 and feeds the information to the MCU 107through the communication links 106. The power usage information iscompiled by the MCU 107 and sent to a broadband communication module 109via communication links 108 that are connected to a UART enabled port onthe communication module 109.

The communication module 109 modulates the received information to acommunication data stream for transmission over a broadbandcommunication frequency band that is typically used for power linecommunication (PLC) over the AC power distribution lines within a localarea network (LAN). The typical broadband used as a PLC communicationband in in the 2 to 30 MHz range and provides up to a 200 Mbps datarate. The communication module 109 sends out the modulated data streamover a broadband connection 110 to a coupler filter 111 which isconnected to the AC power distribution lines 101 by power lineconnections 112. The coupler filter acts as a bi-directional high passfilter that filters out energy in the power line frequency from thecommunication module. The broadband communication module 109 alsodemodulates a communication stream that is received over the AC powerdistribution lines 101 to provide command and control instructions forpower control to the MCU 107. The MCU 107 interprets any receivedcommand and control instructions and instructs the power meter and relaymodule 104 to control the power flow to the power plug 103.

The modulation scheme used by the communication module 109 can be, forexample, any of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM); 16 (4bit/symbol), 64 (6 bit/symbol), 256 (8 bit/symbol), or 1024 (10bit/symbol) QAM, where the symbols are defined based on specific QAMconstellation; differential quaternary phase-shift keying (DQPSK);differential binary phase-shift keying (DBPSK); and robust modulation(ROBO). The data transmission rates using the broadband PLC of the SW100 is up to 200 Mbps

The power for the modules of the SW 100 is supplied by a power supplymodule (PSU) 113 that is connected to the AC power distribution lines bypower connections 102. The PSU 113 generates the various supply voltagesnecessary for the modules of SW 100 and distributes them to theindividual modules of the SW 100 through connections 114.

FIG. 2 is a block schematic diagram showing an alternate embodiment ofan SW unit 200. In this embodiment, the SW 200 uses narrowbandmodulation to transmit the information on power usage collected by theMCU 107 and sent to the narrowband communication module 209. Thecommunication module modulates the information using the narrowbandtransmission frequency for transmission over the power lines 101 as anarrowband transmission instead of as broadband transmission used forPLC. In this embodiment, the narrowband transmission uses differentialcode shift keying (DCSK) for modulation of the information stream.Similar to the SW 100, control commands for the SW 200 are received bythe narrowband communication module 209 over the power line 101 usingnarrowband transmission. A bidirectional band pass filter 111 a is usedbetween the AC power distribution lines 101 and the narrowbandcommunication module 209 to limit the interference due the power linefrequency and any PLC broadband communication frequency. The receivedcommands are demodulated by the narrowband communication module 209 andsupplied to the MCU 107. The MCU 107 then interprets the commands andsends the necessary instructions to the power meter and relay module 104to enable, disable, or control the flow of power to the plug 103, basedon the commands received. The narrowband transmission typically workswith a bit rate of up to 7.5 Kbits/sec (kbps) over 200 to 400 kHzfrequency band in the U.S. and up to 2.5 kbps over 95 to 125 KHzfrequency band in some of the countries in Europe.

In the case of SW 100 and SW 200, there is no external communicationinterface. Hence, any configuration and software updates of the MCU andmodules have to be accomplished via the AC power distribution linesusing compatible communication connections.

FIG. 3A is a flowchart 2000 showing the operation of the SW 100 withregard to collecting and transmitting the power usage and power plug 103status information when an appliance is connected to the power plug 103.

An appliance, such as but not limited to, a refrigerator, a washer, oran oven is connected to the power plug 103 (S2001).

The power plug 103 is enabled when the relay in the power meter andrelay module 104 is closed (relay enabled). Power flows from the ACpower distribution lines 101 supplying the home or office to theappliance through the power meter and relay module 104 and the noisefilter 103 a (S2002).

The power meter and relay module 104 monitors the power usage of theappliance by checking the power flow through the power meter and relaymodule 104 and the plug 103 (S2003).

The power usage information and the on state or off state of the relayand, hence power connection, are collected by the power meter in thepower meter and relay unit 104 (S2004).

This collected information on the status of the power connection ispassed on to an MCU 107 for compilation and consolidation (S2005).

The MCU 107 caches the received information. The MCU 107 compiles andconsolidates the cached information making it ready for transfer to anMST (S2006).

The prepared information, ready for transfer to a master unit (MST)connected on the power distribution lines 101, is forwarded with theaddress of the MST to a communication module 109 (S2007).

The communication module 109 receives the information and address of anaddressee from the MCU 107. The MCU 107 encrypts the information andcombines the encrypted information with the address provided (S2008).

This encrypted information and address are then modulated by thecommunication module 109. The broadband modulation frequency band used,and the type of modulation are as defined in the descriptions of the SW(S2009).

The communication module 109 then sends this modulated informationstream onto the AC power distribution lines 101 for transmission to theMST through a coupler filter 111, where the filter is used to blockunwanted frequencies from entering and impacting the operation of thecommunication module 109 (S2010).

FIG. 3B is a flowchart 2050 showing the operation of a SW 100 unit whileproviding for remote control of the power flow to a connected appliance,connected to the power plug 103. Any information or status changes dueto a remote command and control stream are sent back over AC powerdistribution lines 101 as described in FIG. 3A.

The command and control input stream modulated by the correcttransmission frequency to control the status and power flow through theSW 100 remotely is delivered over the AC power distribution lines 101(S2051).

The command and control input stream is passed to the communicationmodule 109 of connected SW 100 through the coupler filter module 111.The communication module 109 demodulates the command control inputstream received (S2032).

The addressee of the received demodulated input stream is checked and,if found to be of the specific SW 100, the demodulated input stream isaccepted by the SW100 for further processing by the communication module109 (S2053).

The demodulated command and control stream is decrypted in thecommunication module 109 to extract the associated command and controlinputs for the SW 100 (S2054).

The extracted command and control inputs are passed to the MCU 107 forcaching and interpretation (S2055).

The MCU 107 caches the inputs received and interprets them to generate aset of instructions for execution by the power meter and relay module104. The interpreted instructions include, for example, instructions toenable the power flow to the power plug by engaging the relay or todisable the power flow to the power plug by disengaging the relay. Ifthe power meter and relay 104 include power control circuitry, specificcontrol instructions on power input to the connected appliance (S2056).

The generated instructions are sent to the power meter and relay module104 of the SW (S2057).

The power meter and relay module 104 receives the instructions sent bythe MCU 107 for power flow control to the connected appliance (S2058).

The power meter and relay module 104 acknowledges the instructions fromthe MCU 107, executes the instructions received to enable, disable, orotherwise control the power flow to the connected appliance connected tothe power plug 103 (S2059).

The status of the relay and the power usage of the connected power plug103 are updated on the power meter, and relay module 104 and updatedpower usage and relay status is sent to MCU 107 for communication backto the initiating remote sites (2060).

The Data Communication (Ethernet) Enabled Power Switch Unit (ETH)

The ETH is the second unit of the invention. This unit allows anappliance in the home or office to be connected to the power supplythrough the ETH and provides for the monitoring of power consumptionwith capability for remote control of the connected appliance. The ETHfurther provides the capability for broadband PLC based datacommunication, where the data and communication devices are connected tothe power distribution line through a communication port, typically anEthernet port on the ETH. Multiple ETH units can be used to establish aPLC based local area net work (LAN).

FIG. 4 is a block schematic showing the ETH unit 300. The ETH 300 is acombination of two sub-units: a broadband PLC sub-unit, and a SWsub-unit similar to the SW 100 or SW 200. The SW sub-unit ETH 300 usesthe sub-unit SW 200 with narrowband communication for informationtransfer on power usage and remote control of connected appliances overan Internet connection. The broadband PLC Ethernet bridge adaptorsub-unit is a 200 Mbps communication sub-unit for broadband sharing,including on line gaming, Voice over internet protocol (VOIP), Internetprotocol television (IPTV), and audio and video streaming.

The ETH 300 block diagram in FIG. 4 shows all necessary PLC broadbandcommunication modules and modules of the SW 200 as independentsub-units. The block diagram of the SW 200 sub-unit is substantially thesame as that shown in FIG. 2, but with narrowband information transfercapability. The operation of the SW 200 sub-unit of the ETH 300 is asdescribed for the SW 200.

The broadband communication sub-unit of the ETH 300 comprises aconnector, typically of a RJ45 connector 315 or similar, for CAT5Ethernet cable, which is used as a broadband communication I/O connectorinto the ETH 300. The RJ45 connector 315 is connected through a physicallayer interface (PHY) module 316 to a media interface input (MII) on abroadband communication module 309. The communication module 309converts the analog input into a data stream meeting the PLC broadbandprotocol. In this embodiment, the PLC communication protocol uses atransmission frequency band of 2 to 30 MHz, and a modulation scheme forthe data stream using one of OFDM, QAM 1024/256/64/16, DQPSK, or ROBO.The communication module also handles the optional encryption, typicallyusing a 128 bit or larger advanced encryption standard (AES). Themodulated data stream is then passed on to the main power distributionlines 101, through a coupler filter module 111. The filter module acts abidirectional high pass filter to prevent the narrowband frequency andthe power line frequency from entering the PLC broadband communicationmodule 309 and generating noise. The AC power distribution lines 101,when connected to multiple ETH units, form the LAN within a home oroffice for PLC data communication and streaming media transfer. Becausethe broadband communication elements are bidirectional, the broadbandcommunication module can send and receive full duplex broadbandcommunication to any communication device connected to the RJ45connector 315. The broadband communication module is also enabled with aunique address so that communication to it and from it can be identifiedand selectively allowed to pass through to the connected video or audiocommunication unit attached to the RJ45 connector. The received datastream having a right address is decoded and decrypted, if needed, basedon the address. The communication module 309 also converts the receiveddata stream into the analog format and sends it through the MIIinterface of the communication module 309 to the PHY 316, to the RJ45module 315, and to the connected customer device. The disclosed use ofbroadband communication within the PLC LAN using the ETH 300 unitsenables streaming media and IPTV delivery capability to connecteddisplay devices, connected to appropriate communication units within thePLC LAN.

FIG. 5 is a block schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of anETH unit 400. The ETH 400 implementation shown in FIG. 5 also providesdata communication capability and power monitoring and controlcapability. The ETH 400 uses the broadband communication frequency bandand modulation used by the PLC data communication for data communicationand for transfer of information regarding power monitoring and control.The elimination of the narrowband for power monitoring and controlwithin the LAN reduces the complexity and cost of the system.

In FIG. 5, the communication subunit comprises a RJ45 connector 315connected through the PHY 316 to a MII port on the communication module409. The power monitoring and control information of the associatedpower plug 103 is collected by the power meter and relay unit 104 andsent to an MCU 107. The information is cached and processed by the MCU107 and then passed to the broadband communication module 409 through asecond port, UART enabled, on the communication module 409. Thecommunication module 409, in this case, is common for communication andfor power usage and status information transfer and control. Here, thecommunication module 409 converts the incoming data stream into thebroadband format used for PLC. The switch sub-unit of the ETH 400operates in a manner similar to that of the SW 100. The power usage andpower plug status information collected by the power meter and relaymodule 104 are also passed through the MCU 107 to the broadbandcommunication module 409 for conversion to an output information streamusing the broadband PLC format. Both the data stream and the power usageand status information stream are then transferred from communicationmodule 409 to the power distribution lines 101 in the home or officethrough the coupler filter module 111. Similarly, the communicationmodule 409 receives the incoming communication data streams and thecommand and control instructions to the ETH 400 and passes them to therespective modules of the ETH 400 for processing.

In this embodiment, the PLC communication protocol uses a transmissionfrequency band of 2 to 30 MHz, and a modulation scheme for the datastream using one of OFDM, QAM 1024/256/64/16, DQPSK, or ROBO. Thecommunication module also handles the optional encryption, typicallyusing a 128 bit advanced encryption standard (AES) prior to modulation.The modulated data stream is then passed on to the main AC powerdistribution lines 101 through a coupler filter module 111. The filtermodule acts a bidirectional high pass filter to prevent the power linefrequency from entering the PLC broadband communication module 409 andgenerate noise. The AC power distribution lines 101, when connected tomultiple ETH units, form the LAN within a home or office for PLC datacommunication.

The broadband communication module 409 is also enabled with a uniqueaddress so that communication to it and from it can be identified.Because the broadband communication elements are bidirectional, thebroadband communication module can send and receive full duplexbroadband communication to any communication device connected to theRJ45 connector 315. Similarly, the communication module 409 can alsosend out information streams comprising the power usage and status ofthe plug to the AC power distribution lines 101, and it can receivecommand and control information streams from the AC power distributionlines 101. The received data and command and control information streamsare decoded, the address is checked to see if correct and decrypted, ifneeded, based on the address. The communication module 409 then convertsthe received data stream into the analog format and sends it through theMII interface of the communication module 409 to the PHY 316, to theRJ45 module 315, and to the connected customer device. Similarly, thecommunication module sends the command and control information to theMCU 107 for interpretation. The MCU 107 then generates instructions tothe power meter and relay module 104 that are used by the power meterand relay module 104 to control the power flow to the power plug 103.The power plug includes a noise filter 103 a that eliminates any noisetransfer between the appliance connected to the power plug 103 and thepower meter and relay module 104.

The use of multiple ETH 400 units within a home or office enables PLCLAN connectivity within the home or office. Here, also the disclosed isthe use of broadband communication within the PLC LAN, using the units,to enable streaming media delivery capability and IPTV deliverycapability to connected display devices, connected to appropriatecommunication units within the PLC LAN.

The power supply to the plug 103 is from the power distribution lines101 through the power meter and relay module 104. The status of therelay and the power monitoring information are collected by the powermeter and relay module 104 and passed to the MCU 107, which transfersthe information collected to the communication module 409 via a secondport with a UART or MII on the communication module 409. Thisinformation is also converted by the communication module 409 into thebroadband format used for PLC and transferred to the power distributionlines 101 through the coupler filter module 111.

FIG. 6 is a block schematic diagram showing another embodiment of an ETH500. This embodiment comprises a variation of the ETH 400 in that boththe ETH 400 and the ETH 400A use broadband PLC band for enablingcommunication within the LAN and for transfer of power usage informationfrom, and command and control to, the power meter and relay, for powersupply to the connected appliance. The difference between the twoembodiments is that in the ETH 400A the MCU 407 is implemented as asystem on chip (SOC) with integrated PHY and a port on the MCU forconnection of the RJ45 connector 415. This means that the communicationpath to and from the connected communication and display unit is throughthe RJ 45 connector 415 to the MCU 407, and through the MCU 407 to thebroadband communication module 409A. The path for the power monitor andcontrol information is from the power meter and relay unit 104 to theMCU 407 and from the MCU 407 to the broadband communication module 409Athrough the same port that is used for the data transfer. The broadbandcommunication module 409A processes the data to produce a data streamand processes the monitored information to produce an information streamhaving similar encryption and modulation characteristics. These streamsare then transferred to the AC power distribution lines through thecoupler filter module 111 for distribution. Each of the modules of theETH 400A are bidirectional and allow data stream and control informationto be received by the communication module. The communication dataextracted is distributed to the connected communication device throughthe MCU 407, and then through the RJ45 connector 415. The controlinformation extracted is passed to the MCU 407 for caching andinterpretation, and the generated instructions are sent to the powermeter and relay module 104, where they are executed to manage the powerflow to the connected appliance through the power plug 103. In FIG. 4Awith regard to the ETH 400A, even though the communication channel orpath is through the MCU 407, which is implemented as an SOC, in thetypical case this MCU 407 does not participate in the data conversionprocess, but it does provide the possibility within the MCU to store,process, or modify the data if it is required.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart 4000 showing a typical duplex communicationoperation of the ETH 400 shown in FIG. 5. Data generated by the ETH 400is converted to a modulated data stream for sending to the addressee,and sent using the broadband PLC over AC power distribution lines; andan incoming data stream addressed to the ETH 400 is received by the ETH400, and the data extracted and sent to the communication or displaydevice associated with the addressed ETH 400. Thus, thee communicationsub-section of the ETH 400 is a duplex communication sub-unit.

A data input and address of an addressee are generated by thecommunication/display device (external to the unit) connected at theRJ45 connector 315 (S4001).

The data plus address are passed on to a PHY 316 to be sent over thephysical layer to a communication module 409 (S4002).

The communication module 409 accepts the incoming data and address ofthe addressee (S4003).

The communication module 409 encrypts the data received. The encryptionis done with a 128 bit or higher bit AES for security (S4004).

The communication module 409 modulates the encrypted data stream withthe address for transmission over the broadband PLC channel. The typicalmodulation schemes used is one of OFDM, QAM 1024/256/64/16, DQPSK, orROBO modulation, to be sent using the broadband PLC transmissionfrequency band of 2 to 30 MHz and a data rate of up to 200 Mbs (S4005).

The modulated data stream is sent to the coupler filter module 111,which is used to connect the communication module output to the AC powerdistribution lines covering the home or office forming the LAN. Thefilter in the coupler filter module 111 is a bidirectional high passfilter that blocks any narrowband frequencies and power line frequenciesfrom impacting the operation of the communication module (S4006).

The data stream is passed on to the AC power distribution lines 101 ofthe home and office for onward transmission to the addressee usingbroadband PLC (S4007).

Similarly, in the opposite direction, a modulated data stream isreceived over the broadband PLC for an ETH 400 (S4011).

The received modulated data stream is passed through a coupler filtermodule 111 that blocks any unwanted lower frequencies from entering thecommunication module creating unwanted noise (S4012).

The modulated stream received by the communication module 409 of the ETH400 (S4013).

The received modulated data stream is demodulated and addressverification is done by the communication module 409 (S4014).

The demodulated data stream is decrypted by the communication module 409(S4015).

The decrypted data is passed to the PHY 316 to be sent through the RJ45connector 315 (S4016).

The data sent through the RJ45 connector 315 is passed to the externalcommunication and display device connected to it (S4017).

The Master unit (MST)

The MST is the third basic unit of the invention and provides thecomputing power and storage capability necessary to collect and compilepower consumption information provided to it. The connected SW units andETH units within the home or office monitor the power usage of devicesand appliances connected to their respective power plugs. Thisinformation is sent over the local power distribution lines in the homeor office to the MST for compilation of data on usage. With thecapability and computing power available the MST, with the propersoftware, can exert local and emergency control of the appliancesconnected to the SWs and ETH units. The MST also acts as a gatewayconnecting to the broadband communication modem to enable acommunication pathway to the Internet cloud (wide area network [WAN]cloud).

FIG. 8 is a block schematic diagram of an MST 600. In this embodiment, a32 bit MCU is implemented as a system on chip (SOC) 507. The SOC 507implementation provides for higher processing power and integration ofmodules with the MCU. The SOC 507 integrates a PHY into the MCU,providing an RJ45 connector 515 that connects the customer's modemdevice directly to a port on the SOC 507. This connection is a 10/100base TX, auto-negotiation Ethernet port that provides the gateway to theInternet through a connected modem for the PLC communication from allthe connected ETH units within the PLC LAN.

The typical communication module of the MST 600 uses any one chosenmodulation scheme from the list of modulation protocols comprising OFDM,QAM1024/256/64/16, DQPSK, DBPSK, and ROBO for sending and receivingcommunication data streams to the connected ETH units within the PLCLAN. The frequency band used for broadband PLC within the LAN is 2 to 30MHz with a data transfer rate of up to 200 Mbps. The gateway provided bythe MST 600 is also used to send out the collected and processedinformation on the power usage, as well as the status of the powermonitoring and relay units within the PLC LAN for enabling control ofthe power plug 103. Any remote control commands are received from theweb via the gateway provided by the MST 600 for transfer to connected SW100 units for control of the power flow to connected appliances.

In the case of the MST 600 shown in FIG. 8, the modulation, frequencyband, and data rates are the same as those used for the information andcommand transfer within the LAN. The SOC 507 is enabled to enforce allcommunication related security protocols associated with the PLC LAN.Further, all data and power monitoring and control information is sentto the SOC 507 by the connected SW 100 and ETH 400, or ETH 500 unitswithin the home or office, via the power distribution lines 101 throughthe coupler filter module 111 and the communication module 509. Thecommunication module 509 of the MST 600 demodulates the incoming streamsand to decrypt them prior to transferring them to the MCU forming partof the SOC 507. The SOC 507 receives the information and processes it,by compiling and consolidating it, for outward transmission to the web.The SOC 507 also has a memory 517, typically connected to a memory porton the SOC 507. The memory 517 enables the SOC 507 to store the receivedpower monitoring and control information prior to processing andcompiling the information. The memory 517 also stores the compiledinformation to transmit it out through the gateway optimally when thebandwidth usage for data communication is low. The memory 517 alsostores connected SW 100 and ETH 400 or ETH 500 units within the home oroffice. The memory 517 provides for tracking of performance and remotedebugging capability with pinging and path tracking capability for theMST 600, as well as the connected SW 100 and ETH 400 or ETH 500 unit.

The MST 600 provides a power plug 103 connected to the powerdistribution lines101 through a power meter and relay 104 for connectingany needed appliance with the necessary power monitoring and controlcapability. This monitored information is sent to the MCU implemented asan SOC 507 to be combined with the information received over the PLC LANover the power distribution lines 101 through the coupler filter module111 and the communication module 509. This collected information formspart of the power monitoring information input to the MST 600. The powermonitoring information is stored in the memory and compiled andprocessed for transmission to the monitoring sources in the WAN cloudthrough the modem connected to the SOC 507 port with the RJ45 connector515. The transfer of the compiled information is typically done as astore and forward manner with storage in the memory 517 to enable bestuse of the available band width of the gateway, as discussed earlier.

Remote control commands from the gateway are received through duplexport with the RJ45 connector 515 from the connected modem. These controlcommands are interpreted by the SOC 507 of the MST 600 and sent to therespective SW 100 or ETH 400 or ETH 500 units to which it is addressedover the broadband PLC LAN through communication module 509 and couplerfilter module 111 for necessary action at the addressed receiving units.

FIG. 9 is a block schematic diagram showing an alternative embodiment ofthe MST 700. This embodiment also uses a 32 bit MCU manufactured as aSOC 607. A key difference between the previous implementation of the MST600 and this implementation of the MST 700 is that the MST 700 isenabled for use with narrowband transmission and reception of powermonitoring and control information, and broadband for power line datacommunication. This separation is at times advantageous, especially whenthe available broadband bandwidth for data communication is limited andnecessary for data communication within the PLC LAN. Once the collectedinformation is received by the SOC 607, it is compiled, stored, andtransmitted out to the modem via the RJ45 connector 515 on the SOC 607,as in the previous case of MST 600. Remote control commands are receivedby the SOC 700 and transmitted back to the respective connected SW 200and ETH 300 units with narrowband capability over narrowbandcommunication channel. Data communication is handled using broadband PLCchannel over the power distribution lines, as in the case of MST 600.

The MST 700 also has a plug 103 connected through a power meter andrelay 104. The power meter and relay 104 monitors and control the powersupply to any device connected to the plug 103. The monitored powerusage information is fed to the 32 bit MCU implemented in the SOC 607.Monitored power information from other SW 200 and ETH 300 units is sentover the power distribution lines 101 using narrowband communicationformats, to be received by the narrowband communication module 209. Acoupler filter module 111 a, containing a band pass filter, preventspower frequency and broad band frequency coupling to the narrowbandcommunication module 209. The narrowband communication module 209demodulates, decrypts, and extracts the information from thecommunication stream and supplies it to the MCU in the SOC 607. Thereceived information is combined with the local information and storedin the memory 517 prior to processing. This stored information isretrieved, consolidated, compiled, and processed by the MCU 607, andstored back in the memory. When band width is available, based onpredefined criteria, the compiled and processed information is retrievedfrom the memory and transmitted out to the appropriate site in the WANcloud through RJ45 connector 515 and the modem attached to it.

Any remote commands received via the gateway are received through theRJ45 connector 515 from the connected modem. These control commands areinterpreted by the SOC 607 of the MST 700 and sent to the communicationmodule 209 to be converted to the narrowband transmission format, withencryption and modulation, for sending over the power distribution lines101. The commands are then sent through the coupler filter 209 to thepower distribution lines 101 to be sent to the respective narrowbandenabled SW 200 or ETH 300 units to which it is addressed for necessaryaction at the receiving units.

The MST 700 also acts as the gateway for communication, linking the PLCLAN system with the WAN cloud. The connected ETH 300 units connected tocustomer communication devices send data streams over the powerdistribution lines 101 using a PLC specific broadband format which hasbeen described earlier. The communication module 609 of the MST 700receives the data streams, demodulates and decrypts the data stream, andextracts the data. This is sent to the MCU integrated into the SOC 607where it is checked for permission. The data is then sent to the modemconnected to the RJ45 connector 515 for transport over the Internet.Because all of the data communication modules 509 are bi-directional,the MST can receive data from the Internet through the connected modemand direct the data to the appropriate ETH 400 units over the PLC LAN.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart 6000 showing normal duplex operation of the MST600 enabling data communication and information transfer, to and fromthe router to the AC power distribution lines101 for transport over theInternet.

The MST receives incoming data and information stream over the AC powerdistribution lines 101 (S6001). The data stream and information streamare transmitted over broadband PLC for MST 600. Where, as in the case ofthe MST 700 (for which no flowchart is shown), the data stream istransmitted over broadband, PLC and the information stream istransmitted over narrowband, as previously described.

The received data and information streams are passed into the MSTthrough filter couplers (S6002). The coupler filter module 111 of theMST 600 has a high-pass filter that blocks the power frequency fromentering the communication module of the MST 600 and contributing tonoise. In the MST 700, the broadband PLC data communication stream ispassed through a high-pass filter in the filter coupler 111 that blocksthe power frequency and the narrowband frequencies from entering thebroadband communication module 509. The narrowband information streampasses into the MST 700 through a band-pass filter in the filter coupler111 a that blocks both the broadband frequencies and the powerfrequencies from the narrowband communication module 209.

The received communication and information streams are received by thecommunication module (S6003). The MST 600 has a single broadbandcommunication module 509 to handle both the communication data streamand the information stream. The MST 700 has a broadband communicationmodule 509 for the broadband data communication steam and a narrowbandcommunication module 209 for the information stream.

The communication module demodulates the streams to extract the data,the information, and the addresses (S6004). The MST 600 contains only asingle broadband communication module 509 that demodulates the datacommunication stream and information stream. The MST 700 has a broadbanddata communication module 509 for the data stream and a narrowbandcommunication module 209 for the information stream.

The communication module decrypts the stream (S6005). In the MST 600,the broadband communication module 509 decrypts the demodulated stream.In the MST 700, the data communication stream is decrypted by thebroadband communication module 509, while the information stream isdecrypted by the narrow band communication module 209.

The address associated with the streams are checked by the decryptingcommunication module to verify the addressee (S6006).

The data and the information with the necessary address are sent to theMCU for logging and checking (S6007). The MST 600 has the MCU embeddedas part of the SOC 507, and the MST 700 has the MCU as part of the SOC607.

The MCU checks the permissions and security of the data and information(S6008).

The MCU logs the address of the data and information, with timestamp andother approved details, in the DRAM buffer (S6009).

The logged information is consolidated, compiled, and stored in a memory517 for establishing priority for transmission (S6010).

The data, or the prioritized information from the memory 517, with theaddress details is sent over a PHY for transport over the physical layerto the RJ45 connector 515 (S6011).

The data or information with the necessary address details is passedthrough to the router connected to the RJ45 connector 515 for transportover the Internet to the addressee (S6012).

In the reverse direction, when a return data or information stream comesfrom the Internet to the router connected to the RJ45 connector with theIP address of the MST, it is converted into data or information at therouter and passed through the RJ45 connector 515 to the physical linkconnecting the RJ45 connector to the MCU (S6101).

The data or information comes over the PHY link to the MCU (S6102). Inthe case of the MST 600, the MCU is embedded in the SOC 507. In the caseof the MST 700, the MCU is embedded in the SOC 607.

The receiving MCU checks the address within the data or information todetermine if it is addressed to an ETH unit within the PLC LAN or an SWconnected to it (S6103).

The receiving MCU further checks for all security and permissions of thereceived data or information that are needed to access the connecteddevices (S6104).

The receiving MCU logs the incoming data or information with timestampand details in the DRAM (S6105).

The receiving MST checks to determine if any received information isaddressed to the MST (S6106).

If the received is information addressed to the MST, then the receivingMCU interprets the commands within the information stream to generateexecutable instructions for the power meter and relay module 104 of theMST (S6107).

The receiving MCU sends the instructions to the local power meter andrelay module 104 for action (S6108).

The local power meter in the power meter and relay module 104 executesthe executable instructions to control the power flow to the power plug103 through the relay in the power meter and relay module 104 of the MST(S6109).

The status of the local power plug 103 is updated in the power meter andrelay module 104 (S6110).

If the received information is not for the MST, then the data orinformation, with the address of the SW or ETH is sent to thecommunication module of the MST (S6111). In the case of the MST 600,both data and information are sent to a broadband communication module509. In the case of MST 700, the data is sent to the broadbandcommunication module 509, while the information for power control issent to a separate narrowband communication module 209.

The appropriate communication module receives the data or informationand the address of the SW or ETH (S6112).

The communication module encrypts the data or the information received(S6113).

The encrypted data or information is recombined with the address of theSW or ETH (S6114).

The communication module modulates the data or information with theaddress to form a data or information stream (S6115). In the case of theMST 600, the data or information stream is modulated using the samebroadband frequency using the modulation protocol chosen for the PLCLAN. In the case of MST 700, the data stream is modulated using thebroadband frequency and modulation protocol used for PLC LAN, while theinformation stream is modulated using DCSK modulation using thenarrowband modulation frequency.

The modulated streams are sent through a coupler filter module thatblocks unwanted frequencies being impressed on the AC power distributionlines of home or office, and also prevents the unwanted frequencies onthe AC power distribution lines entering the communication module(S6116). In the MST 600, the filter used is a high-pass filter in thecoupler filter 111 that allows the broadband frequency to pass through.In the MST 700 for the modulated data stream using broadband, ahigh-pass filter in the coupler filter 111 is used and, for themodulated information stream using narrowband, a band-pass filter in thecoupler filter 111 a is used.

The coupler filter module impresses the modulated data or informationstream on the AC power distribution lines 101 for transmission to theconnected addressee SW or ETH (S6117). In the case of MST 600, the SW100 and ETH 400 or ETH 500 are connected. In the case of the MST 700,using narrowband transmission for information, only the SW 200 and ETH300 are connected.

Configuration and Software of the MST

The devices are configurable and managed through the web using hypertexttransfer protocol (HTTP) or HTTP secure (HTTPS). The unit's operatingsystem is compatible with, but are not limited to, Windows 98 secondedition (SE), Windows millennium edition (ME), Windows 2000, and WindowsXP. Firmware upgrades are provided via the local web using graphicaluser interface (GUI). Configuration file management provides for fileupload and restore. The available protocols include, but are not limitedto, IPv4 and IPv6 management protocol stacks. The MCU in SOC 507 in theMST 600 and MCU in SOC 607 in MST 700 are enabled to provide quality ofservice (QoS) for the units by prioritized random access,contention-free access, and segment bursting capability for datacommunication. It also provides prioritized channel access with internalpacket prioritization. The MCU in SOC 507 and MCU in SOC 607 can assignpriorities for both communication and power usage information transferinclude emergency, high priority, and normal priority. The security andprotection schemes include user name and password. The MST 600 and MST700 are configurable for dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)client, static internet protocol (IP), and a proprietary configurationprotocol referred to as Asoka host configuration protocol (AHCP). Thedefault status is a predefined static IP with a subnet.

Time management of the units is by simple network time protocol (SNTP)with auto synchronization to the network time protocol server. The MST600 and MST 700 both stores event logs in dynamic random access memory(DRAM) with buffer wraparound and event overwrite after a fixed numberevents to keep track of recent events. The buffer can be written intothe external memory 517 for long term storage. Each event log has aformat that includes timestamp, level, and event description. Both MST600 and MST 700 are enabled to be reset without power cycling.

The MST 600 can support up to 64 SW 100 and ETH 400 or ETH 500 unitsthat use only broadband. The MST 700 can only support 32 SW 200 and ETH300 units that use narrowband transmission for information of powerusage and for control of power plug 103 and broadband for communication.

In the Internet connection regimen, the MST 600 and MST 700 both havefull multicast compatibility using Internet group management protocol(IGMP) for transmission and multicast listener discovery (MLD) formessage identification. The MST 600 and MST 700 can convert any receivedmulticast streams received into multiple unicast streams fortransmission within the system to the appropriate connected SW and ETHunits. The MSTs can fully manage the connected SW and ETH units,including getting device information and setting device information asnecessary to establish a full device list for communication and control.The MST 600 and MST 700 can communicate and register with Internetservers and deal with any request for device information, as well asrequests for setting device information from the servers to enableconnections and debug.

The MST 600 and MST 700 both are able to support full debug capabilityby providing event log for debugging and ping from any host/IP withtrace route from unit to host/IP. This availability of full connectivitythrough the MST 600 or 700 to each connected SW and ETH allow fast debugof the problems that can arise during operation.

Typical Connection for the Units within the Home or Office

FIG. 11 is a block schematic diagram 700 showing powered management andcommunication connectivity using the three units of the invention. TheSW units are used where the requirement is for power connectioncapability with monitoring and control but without the need to connect acommunication device into the PLC LAN.

The ETH devices provide communication device connections to the PLC LANwhile providing a power plug or power source which can be monitored andcontrolled.

Multiple SW and ETH units can be used to establish the power monitoringand control for the home and provide connectivity for data communicationon the PLC LAN level.

The use of a single MST for the home provides the capability toestablish a WAN gate way enabling the PLC LAN to communicate withoutside world with security and connection rules. The MST is also usedas a collection and compilation point for the power monitoring function,where the power usage within the home with connected SW and ETH unitsare received and compiled. Because there is connectivity with controlcapability on each SW and ETH unit, the power delivery through each ofthese SW and ETH units can be monitored and controlled from any of thecommunication devices connected to the PLC LAN. Further, this collectedinformation on any of the power plugs can be accessed from the WAN cloudusing connected communication devices to monitor the status and provideremote control commands through the WAN gate way. This capability iscontrolled by the permissions, authorizations and security rulesestablished for connection into the PLC LAN through the MST.

Because communication connections to the outside world and within thePLC LAN are all broadband enabled, the system can provide steaming mediacapability within the PLC LAN. It can access and enable streaming mediadelivery to display devices connected using ETH units through the WANgate way.

To facilitate macro level collection and compilation of power usageinformation, the collected power monitoring and usage information istransmitted over the WAN gateway to one or more central power usagecollection units. These units collect the data for analysis and toprovide input to the public bodies for making policy decisions ongreenhouse gas reduction requirements.

A person skilled-in-the-art would readily appreciate that the inventiondisclosed herein is described with respect to specific embodiments ofthe units currently used. However, this should not be considered alimitation on the scope of the invention. Specifically, otherimplementations of the disclosed invention are envisioned and hence theinvention should not be considered to be limited, to the specificembodiments discussed herein above. The units may be implemented as anassembly of individual components, as a combination of components andintegrated circuits, or as one or more SOCs. The invention should not beconsidered as being limited in scope based on specific block leveldetails, but should be considered on the basis of current and futureenvisioned functionality.

Although the invention is described herein with reference to thepreferred embodiment, one skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat other applications may be substituted for those set forth hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Accordingly, the invention should only be limited by the Claims includedbelow.

1. A power switch unit (SW), comprising: an appliance power plug havinga noise filter; a power meter and relay unit coupled to said power plugand further coupled to an AC power distribution line, said power meterand relay collecting power usage information and relay status; a microcontroller unit (MCU) module connected to said power meter and relayunit, said MCU receiving from said power meter and relay unit saidcollecting power usage information and relay status for compilation; acommunication module connected to said MCU, said communication moduleconfigured to encrypt and modulate compiled information received fromsaid MCU; and a coupler filter module connected to said communicationmodule and said AC power distribution lines; wherein said power meterand relay are configured to control a flow of power to said power plugfrom said AC power distribution lines based on input from said MCU; andwherein power usage information of any appliance connected to saidappliance power plug, and status of the plug, are communicated over saidAC power distribution lines.
 2. An apparatus, comprising: a plurality ofsensors, each sensor connected to a power line and to an associatedcontrolled appliance, each appliance powered by power from said powerline under control of said sensor, each sensor configured for each of:collecting power usage information of said connected associatedappliance; executing a power management regimen; and providing aconnection to establish a local area network (LAN) between said sensorsand other networked devices; said sensors comprising any one or more, inany combination, of the following: an intelligent master sensor (MST)configured to collect, compile, and communicate said collectedinformation via a communication medium, and to receive and distributeinstructions for implementing said power management regimen and foreffecting control of said controlled appliance via said associatedsensors; a communication and power management sensor (ETH); and a powercontrol switch sensor (SW); wherein said sensors are configured toprovide integrated sensing and control of appliance power usage andpower management, while establishing a LAN having communicationcapability, including streaming media delivery capability.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 2, wherein said SW is configured for connecting anappliance to said power line; and wherein said SW is configured formonitoring power consumption by, and to effect remote control of, anappliance connected thereto.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, each sensorfurther comprising: a communication module configured for modulatingsaid collected information to a communication data stream fortransmission over a broadband communication frequency band to effectpower line communication (PLC) over said power line within said localarea network (LAN); and said communications module configured fordemodulating a broadband communication stream that is received over saidpower line to provide command and control instructions for power controlof a power flow to said associated appliance.
 5. The apparatus of claim2, each sensor further comprising: a communication module configured formodulating collected power usage information to a communication datastream for transmission over a narrowband communication frequency bandto effect narrowband communication over said power line within saidlocal area network (LAN); and said communications module configured fordemodulating a narrowband communication stream that is received oversaid power line to provide command and control instructions for powercontrol of a power flow to said associated appliance.
 6. The apparatusof claim 2, wherein said ETH is configured for connecting an applianceto said power line; wherein said ETH is configured for monitoring powerconsumption by, and to effect remote control of, an appliance connectedthereto; wherein said ETH is configured for providing broadband PLCbased data communication, where the data and communication devices areconnected to said power line through a communication port; and whereinmultiple ETH units are connected via said power line to establish a PLCbased LAN.
 7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said MST comprises aprocessor and memory; wherein said MST is configured for collecting andcompiling power consumption information and for connecting an applianceto said power line; wherein said MST is configured for monitoring powerconsumption by, and to effect remote control of, an appliance connectedthereto; and wherein said MST is configured for connection to said SWsand ETHs.
 8. A method, comprising: providing a plurality of sensors,each sensor connected to a power line and to an associated controlledappliance, each appliance powered by power from said power line undercontrol of said sensor, each sensor configured for each of: collectingpower usage information of said connected associated appliance;executing a power management regimen; and providing a connection toestablish a local area network (LAN) between said sensors and othernetworked devices; said sensors comprising any one or more, in anycombination, of the following: an intelligent master sensor configuredto collect, compile, and communicate said collected information via acommunication medium, and to receive and distribute instructions forimplementing said power management regimen and for effecting control ofsaid controlled appliance via said associated sensors; a communicationand power management sensor; and a power control switch sensor; andconfiguring said sensors to provide integrated sensing and control ofappliance power usage and power management, while establishing a LANhaving communication capability, including streaming media deliverycapability.